Technology

A Geek Walks Into a Verizon Store . . .

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So I walk into the Verizon store recently to get a new phone (Android, what else?).  This does sound like the beginning of a joke, but as opposed to doing "a geek walks into a store" joke, let me instead hold forth on what I learned from going there.  The Verizon stores, if you've been paying attention, have been changing, and I think we're seeing some trends in consumer electronics that they illustrate.

Anyway, so there I am in the Verizon store and there's some changes, a slicker look, and a helpful gentleman with a tablet he uses for data, credit cards, and sales.  I'm sure that you're thinking what I thought.

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Are We Loosing Our Creative Breathing Room?

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Technology allows us to deliver content and spectacular speeds to an audience of ready fans.  We writers can get our eBooks out faster than anyone in publishing dreaded of a decade ago.  Those of us in gaming can get out a game in parts, or keep the DLC flowing until a game's sequel comes out.  Musicians can deliver one tune at a time until the DVD burns or concert season comes up.

We can keep delivering content all the time.  There can be almost no gap between one product than the next – in the case of novels, with continual e-chapters, it never has to end.

I'm wondering if this is a good idea, or if at the very least it'll be hard to adapt to:

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Fanimations: Animation, Technology, and Animated Fanworks Of The Future

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Last week bonnie discussed Bad Thai Disney Ripoffs and how technology for animation was putting it in reach of everyone.  She speculated on how animated fanworks could one day be much, much easier to do.  I of course wanted to add my own analysis.

Namely, taking the idea that someday technology could give us reasonable-to-high quality, quickly-done fan and amateur animation.  Laugh as we will at the Thai Faux Disney, the quality of the animation is not horrendous – if it were a fanwork it would be considered pretty decent.  So, building on the idea that technology is making animation easier and easier, what points do we have to reach to get to many people using available tech to jump on the animation bandwagon?  When do fan animations (fanimations?) reach a point where, like music videos and so forth, anyone can at least give them a go?

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